Borneo Insights

Political Risk | Strategic Research | Advisory

Understanding Borneo.
Anticipating Change.

Contact Us

Who we are

We understand the regional landscape, identify opportunities, interpret developments and help decision-makers act with confidence.

Borneo Insights is a Sabah-based political risk, strategic research and advisory firm focused on Sabah, Sarawak and the wider Borneo region. We combine rigorous research, deep regional knowledge and practical advisory experience to help governments, businesses, investors and institutions understand political developments, navigate uncertainty and make informed decisions.

Operating at the intersection of research, policy and strategic advisory, we bring the intellectual rigour of a think tank to the practical challenges facing decision-makers.

Regional focus

Mount Kinabalu rising above the Sabah countryside 5.98°N 116.07°E

Sabah

Kota Kinabalu · Malaysia

Our home base. Federal–state relations, coalition dynamics and the autonomy debate.

Borneo in focus

One island. Many forces.

  • Mount Kinabalu rising above the Sabah countryside Landscapes Mount Kinabalu, Sabah
  • A traditional longhouse among trees in Sarawak Communities A longhouse, Sarawak
  • Aerial view of Kota Kinabalu city centre and waterfront Cities Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
  • Jetties and tankers at the Bintulu LNG port in Sarawak Energy LNG port, Bintulu
  • Oil palm fruit bunches on a tree in Kimanis, Sabah Agriculture Oil palm, Kimanis
Cloud forming over rainforest near Kinabalu, Sabah

Our Expertise

Five lenses on one island.

Our expertise draws on a close understanding of Borneo’s political institutions, communities and evolving policy environment.

01 / 05

Political and Governance Analysis

Political developments, leadership and coalition dynamics, electoral trends, governance institutions and institutional change.

02 / 05

Political Risk and Strategic Intelligence

Political and regulatory uncertainty, emerging issues and the implications of political developments for organisations, investments and strategic decisions.

03 / 05

Federalism and Public Policy

Federal–state relations, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), regional autonomy, decentralisation, policy reform and institutional arrangements.

04 / 05

Regional Political Economy

The relationship between political decisions, economic development, natural resources, investment and strategic interests across Borneo.

05 / 05

Society and Community Dynamics

Local communities, identity, social relations, public attitudes and the factors shaping stakeholder and community responses.

What We Do

From evidence to decision.

We translate regional expertise and evidence-based research into tailored analysis, engagement and advisory services.

01

Political Risk Assessment

Tailored assessments of political developments, institutional uncertainties and emerging risks affecting organisations, projects and investments.

02

Strategic Research and Policy Advisory

Commissioned research, policy studies and strategic analysis to support planning, institutional decision-making and policy development.

03

Political and Electoral Analysis

Analysis of political competition, electoral developments, coalition dynamics and changing public attitudes.

04

Advocacy and Community Engagement

Evidence-based policy advocacy, community needs assessments, stakeholder consultations, outreach and participatory engagement designed to support dialogue and inclusive decision-making.

05

Stakeholder Mapping and Strategic Communications

Mapping relevant institutions, interests and stakeholder relationships; advising on issue framing, engagement and communications strategy.

06

Executive Briefings and Intelligence Reports

Concise policy briefs, analytical reports and confidential executive briefings prepared for specific client needs.

How we work

From understanding to confident action.

We understand the regional landscape, identify opportunities, interpret developments and help decision-makers act with confidence.

  1. 01

    Understand the landscape

    We read Borneo’s politics, institutions and communities from the ground up, through research and close regional knowledge.

  2. 02

    Identify opportunities

    We map the developments, stakeholders and pressure points that matter to the decision in front of you.

  3. 03

    Interpret developments

    We explain what political and policy change means for you, in clear, evidence-based terms.

  4. 04

    Act with confidence

    We turn analysis into briefings, strategy and engagement you can act on.

Insights & Commentaries

Perspectives from Borneo

Borneo Insights contributes to informed discussion on politics, governance, public policy and regional affairs. Our commentaries, policy briefs and research publications examine the developments shaping Borneo and their implications for decision-makers.

Politics & Elections

In Malaysia’s largest state, ‘Sarawak First’ faces a Dayak election test

Dr Arnold Puyokin South China Morning Post

No party can govern Sarawak without the Dayak vote, yet divisions within the community limit its political weight. Dr Puyok examines how “Sarawak First” identity politics meets the state’s ethnic arithmetic.

  • The Dayak peoples are Sarawak’s largest group, at about 42 per cent of the population
  • GPS left Barisan Nasional in 2018 and promotes Sarawakian identity over ethnicity
  • Personality politics and internal rivalries dilute Dayak influence
Read on South China Morning Post
Politics & Elections

Why Sarawak’s Abang Johari cannot afford to slip up

Dr Arnold Puyokin Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

GPS is expected to win the coming Sarawak election, but its margin matters. A decisive result would strengthen Sarawak’s hand in federal politics, while a narrower one would signal fading dominance.

  • GPS holds 23 of Sarawak’s 31 parliamentary seats, a key bloc in the Unity Government
  • Room to win opposition-held seats, such as DAP’s Kuching strongholds, is limited
  • The rise of Dayakism and feuds within GPS are internal tests for the Premier
Read on Fulcrum
Political Economy & Investment

Sabah sovereign wealth fund as means of empowering state fiscal capacity

Dr Firdausi Suffianin Malay Mail

Dr Firdausi argues that Sabah should invest its resource revenues through a sovereign wealth fund, turning a fiscal windfall into lasting wealth and reducing reliance on federal funding.

  • Revenue from petroleum, palm oil and mining, plus the MA63 revenue share, should become investment capital
  • Norway, Alaska, Alberta and Sarawak offer working models
  • Sabah’s revenue rose from RM4.5 billion in 2020 to RM6.9 billion in 2023
Read on Malay Mail
Governance & Policy

Let’s start by making Sabah GLC scorecard public yearly

Joey Gohin Daily Express

An annual, public scorecard for Sabah’s government-linked companies would tie funding to performance, making state-led development more credible as larger federal allocations arrive.

  • In 2023, over 90 per cent of Sabah’s 200-plus GLCs were reported as unprofitable
  • Quarterly reporting risks becoming a formality unless it shapes budgets
  • Lessons from the federal GLC Transformation Programme can be adapted to Sabah
Read on Daily Express

Commentaries are written by the named authors and published by the outlets shown.

Experience behind the advice

Built on careers that span the region and the world.

regions in focus
3
areas of expertise
5
specialist services
6
researchers and advisers
6

Our people have worked with

  • ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
  • London School of Economics
  • Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
  • Institute of Borneo Studies
  • Universiti Malaysia Sabah
  • Universiti Teknologi MARA
  • Invest Sabah Berhad
  • Institute for Development Studies Sabah
  • UNICEF
  • Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
  • Khazanah Research Institute
  • Securities Commission Malaysia
  • Malaysian Investment Development Authority
  • World Bank
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Sciences Po Paris
  • Paris School of Economics
  • University of Malaya
  • Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
  • Yokohama National University
  • University of New England
  • Palawan State University
  • Universitas Tanjungpura
  • APPGM-SDG

Commentary featured in

  • Fulcrum
  • South China Morning Post
  • Malay Mail
  • Daily Express
  • The Borneo Post
  • Free Malaysia Today
  • Malaysiakini
  • Channel NewsAsia
  • Astro Awani
  • RTM
  • TVS

Institutions our team members have worked with or been affiliated with, and outlets that have published or featured their commentary. These are not client relationships or endorsements.

Our Team

The people behind the reading.

Borneo Insights brings together researchers, consultants and advisers with expertise in political affairs, governance, public policy, strategic communications and community engagement. Our model combines core leadership with a network of specialists engaged according to project needs.

Leadership

Founder & Managing Director

Dr Arnold Puyok

Dr Arnold Puyok is a political scientist specialising in political risk, federalism, regional autonomy, governance and electoral politics, with particular expertise in Sabah and Sarawak.

He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Institute of Borneo Studies (IBS) and Associate Professor in Politics and Government Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He has held research affiliations with the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

His work examines political developments, coalition dynamics, federal–state relations and the political economy of the Borneo States. His recent ISEAS research monographs examine the 2025 Sabah state election and the different trajectories of autonomy in Sabah and Sarawak.

Beyond academia, he engages with policymakers, political actors and organisations on governance, political strategy and regional affairs. His commentaries have appeared in The Borneo Post, Daily Express, Free Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini. He contributes regularly to Fulcrum, the analysis platform of ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, and has written for the South China Morning Post. He has appeared as a political commentator on Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Astro Awani, RTM and TVS.

Selected Research Publications

Consulting and Research Team

Political Economist

Dr Firdausi Suffian

Dr Firdausi Suffian is a political economist specialising in industrial policy, investment, institutional development and regional economic transformation.

He is an academic at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah and formerly served as Chief Executive Officer of Invest Sabah Berhad, the Sabah Government’s investment promotion agency.

During his secondment to the Sabah Government, he contributed to the development and implementation of major investment and industrial initiatives, including the Blue Economy Initiative, ocean thermal energy conversion and investment facilitation strategies.

He has also served as Deputy Rector of Academic Affairs at UiTM and undertaken consultancy assignments for UNICEF, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) Sabah.

He is the author of The Political Economy of Industrial Policy in Malaysia and has held research and advisory affiliations with institutions in Malaysia and internationally.

Economist

Dr James Alin

Dr James Alin is an economist and researcher specialising in applied economics, political economy, environmental governance and sustainable development.

He is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), where he has served since 2003. He holds a PhD in Economics from Yokohama National University, Japan.

He has held international academic appointments, including Senior Research Fellow at the University of New England, Australia, and Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Palawan State University, Philippines.

His research and publications cover investment, energy economics, environmental conservation and socioeconomic development. He has also contributed to research on the implementation of Undi18 in Malaysia and authored commentaries on political economy and public affairs.

Research Analyst

Abelnus, M.Sos.

Abelnus is a researcher specialising in political affairs, borderland studies, local governance and community development, with particular expertise in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

He previously served as an expert adviser to the West Kalimantan Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) and has professional experience in government administration, journalism and higher education. He has also been actively involved in community organisations, including initiatives related to border development, indigenous communities and rural livelihoods.

His research focuses on Indonesia–Malaysia border relations, cross-border trade, local politics and socioeconomic development. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), examining the implications of Indonesia’s capital relocation for cross-border trade dynamics along the Aruk–Biawak corridor.

He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Universitas Tanjungpura, Indonesia.

Research Analyst

Dr Sitti Aisyah Orlando

Dr Sitti Aisyah Orlando holds a PhD in Administrative Science, specialising in Political Science and Public Policy, from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She also holds a Master’s degree in Administrative Science, specialising in Policy Analysis.

Her research interests and professional experience encompass political economy, governance, public policy, poverty and socioeconomic development, with a particular focus on Sabah.

She has served as a research consultant, policy analyst and data analyst on various research and consultancy projects, including multidimensional poverty studies, socioeconomic assessments, national security research and policy development initiatives. She has also been involved in the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), supporting community-based research and development programmes.

Dr Aisyah has published academic work on political patronage, poverty eradication, governance and institutional dynamics. Her experience combines academic research, policy analysis and field-based engagement with local communities and stakeholders in Sabah.

Board of Advisers

Adviser

Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid

Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid is an economist and public policy specialist with extensive experience in economic policymaking, institutional governance and strategic advisory.

He previously served as Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia (2018–2020) and was a member of the Economic Action Council. He has also held senior positions at Khazanah Research Institute and the Securities Commission Malaysia, and served on the board of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

He is Chairman of Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Berhad and a Board Member of Allianz Malaysia Berhad. His international advisory experience includes engagements with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and United Nations agencies.

He holds a PhD from Sciences Po Paris and maintains academic and research affiliations with the University of Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the Paris School of Economics.

University and institutional affiliations are listed as professional background only and do not imply endorsement of Borneo Insights by those institutions.

Contact Us

Get in Touch

We welcome enquiries from businesses, investors, public institutions, research organisations and other partners seeking informed perspectives and strategic advice on Borneo.

Send an enquiry

Professional enquiries will be handled with appropriate confidentiality.

Borneo Insights Sdn Bhd No 3A.02, Level 3A, Plaza Shell 29, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Open in Maps ↗
Speak to the team 012-954 7803 enquiries@borneoinsights.com
InsightAutomated assistant

Automated replies. Please don’t share sensitive details here.